Something had been bothering me for a little while.
Ever since Claire said that thing about Lloyd's eyes going red.
Naomi had claimed it was just a rumour, then I saw it for myself - at the amusement park, when he defended me against Chen and he lost his cool.
But then I definitely saw the green ninja with red eyes that time with the gang. I'd shown up in the middle of the thirteen-on-one fight and he'd gotten frustrated then, too.
Part of me was deep in denial.
Lloyd couldn't be the green ninja - that's just too wild. Too ridiculous. He'd have to fight his own father.
But the other part of me was linking things together - their voices did sound eerily similar. Although the green ninja was more of a little bastard and Lloyd was soft-spoken and gentle, I couldn't deny that they spoke the same. And sunshine. Sunshine. Who had called me that first?
And I also can't deny that the green ninja smelt like Lloyd.
I was sure that the green ninja was flirting with me. When I brought up the fact that I was interested in Lloyd, he didn't even look surprised. He stammered, sure, but was that because I was speaking about him to his face?
Nah. No way. No way.
But then the green ninja plush... why would Lloyd tell me to keep it? Wouldn't he want as little to do with the green ninja as possible? Wouldn't that be a reminder of his dad?
Ugh. This was so confusing. My leg was almost completely numb and my head had begun to ache from the way it had swirled with confusion.
I gathered some clothes that would probably fit Greenie - the green hoody and some old fat pants that I had snatched from my dad. Lloyd or not, the boy in the shower needed some clean clothes.
I stumbled to the bathroom, clothes in hand. My leg had to be dragged along the ground.
I made it just as Greenie turned off the shower head and shut the shower door behind him. I handed him the clothes through the gap, then I leant against the door once it was closed again.
The whiff of life escaped from the crack and I stiffened.
Oh, my god. My eyes were staring holes into the ceiling. Oh, my god. That's Lloyd's smell. That's Lloyd. Lloyd is the green ninja.
"Can... can I ask you a weird question?" I asked quietly. He hummed from the other side of the door. "I- god, this sounds crazy. I mean- I don't even know if I'm right but if I don't ask then I'm gonna go insane but if I do and I'm wrong then I'm just going to look like a total id-"
"Y/n," his voice sounded amused. I inhaled sharply.
"Right," I dropped my head against the wood, closing my eyes. "Are... are you Lloyd?"
He fell silent.
Of course he isn't, you dumbie! He's probably thinking what an idiot you are for reading too much into things. There's no way-
The door slowly began to open. I stumbled to the other side of the hallway, standing back against the wall cautiously.
A mop of soaking, blonde hair poked out of the bathroom.
Lloyd.
I fell back against the opposite wall in shock. I wasn't not sure that it was him but actually seeing that it was him was an entirely different thing. His green eyes looked sheepish. I stared back at him in shock.
"How'd you find out?" Lloyd asked softly.
"Y- your eyes," I stammered in alarm. "And the way you call me 'sunshine...' andyoursmell-"
Lloyd went to open his mouth to say something before it closed. He tilted his head in confusion. Water dripped onto his hoody.
"Did... did you say my smell?" he asked with wide eyes.
My face suddenly felt like it was on fire and I had to hide my head in my hands in embarrassment.
"Yup," I squeaked, ear tips red.
There was a beat of silence, me with my hands shielding my face and Lloyd probably staring at me like I was a weirdo. Sigh. There goes any chance of dating him.
Then Lloyd started to chuckle his handsome chuckle. The light amusement contrasted my growing mortification.
"Don't laugh!" I whined from behind my hands, which only made him laugh more.
"I'm- I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Lloyd apologised between gasps, placing a hand on his forehead as he tried to regain his breath. The bathroom door was pushed wide open. "I just- my smell? Jeez, I really should take a shower, huh?"
I giggled a little - mostly hysterically because my embarrassment had reached record levels.
Lloyd huffed, shaking his head and prying my hands from my face with gentle fingers. A warm, crooked smile was on his face. It made my stomach flutter mercilessly.
